Flashes Hold Buckeyes to 1-for-8 on Third Down, Force Two Turnovers in Trip to Ohio Stadium

Saturday, September 19

Columbus, OH

12 PM ET

Kent State University

1-2 , 0-0

Ohio State University

2-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Kent St.	0	0	0	3	3
Ohio St.	21	14	7	17	59

A Kent State football player wearing jersey number 18 leaps into the air with both arms raised holding a football, celebrating an interception in the end zone alongside a teammate wearing number 14.

Flashes Hold Buckeyes to 1-for-8 on Third Down, Force Two Turnovers in Trip to Ohio Stadium

9/19/2026 4:39:00 PM | Football

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kent State fell 59-3 to No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, dropping to 1-2 on the season.

Ohio State wasted no time establishing control. The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives of the first quarter, a seven-play, 65-yard march capped by a Ja'Kobi Jackson 11-yard run, a five-play, 62-yard answer featuring a Julian Sayin-to-Nate Roberts touchdown pass, and a five-play drive concluded by Isaiah West from four yards out. Kent State's best answer in the opening half came on a seven-play drive deep into Buckeye territory that ended in a turnover on downs, followed later by another six-play push that stalled at the Ohio State 15. Despite the mounting deficit, the Kent State defense did show signs of life in the first half, twice stopping the Buckeyes on fourth down to force turnovers on downs. The Buckeyes then drove 85 yards in just 20 seconds at the close of the half, with Sayin hitting Brandon Inniss on a 49-yard touchdown strike as time expired to make it 35-0 at the break.

A Nolan Good fumble on Kent State's opening possession of the second half gave Ohio State the ball at the Flashes' 43. Six plays later, Ja'Kobi Jackson punched in a 1-yard score to push the margin to 42-0. The fourth quarter brought the two most deflating moments of the afternoon in rapid succession: backup quarterback Luke Fahey connected with Chris Henry Jr. on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the very first play, and eight seconds later, a fumble by Ethan Thanthanavong was scooped up by Jamir Perez and returned 11 yards to make it 56-0.

Kent State's lone points came with under two minutes remaining, set up by a Tanner Mintz interception of a Tavien St. Clair pass and returned it 48 yards to the Ohio State 5-yard line, his second-half pick coming on the heels of a Norey Johnson interception in the third quarter to give the Flashes two takeaways on the afternoon. Sean Leonard then converted a 30-yard field goal to put Kent State on the board at 3-59.

The Flashes finished with just 134 total yards against the Buckeyes' 527. Dru DeShields completed 6-of-15 passes for 35 yards before being relieved, with the passing attack spread among four quarterbacks on the day. On the ground, Brandon White led with 21 yards on five carries, and Donovan Delaney Jr. added 20 on nine attempts. Wayne Harris was the top receiver with two catches for 29 yards. Penalties were a significant issue, as Kent State was flagged 13 times for 100 yards.

Defensively, the Golden Flashes held Ohio State to a 1-for-8 mark on third downs and forced two fourth-down stops in the first half. Joel Cordoba and Quan Rhodes-McKee each led the way with seven tackles. Rhodes-McKee added two tackles for loss, while Aiden Burgess registered Kent State's lone sack of the afternoon.

Kent State returns home to Dix Stadium to open MAC play against Ball State on Saturday, September 26. Kickoff is set for noon.

---

Be The Difference, Support the Football Excellence Fund

Support Coach Carney and the football program today by donating to the Football Excellence Fund by clicking here.

Follow Kent State Football

For complete coverage of Kent State Athletics, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook for news and updates.